ANDRE Purlette aims to bring home a world heavyweight belt within a year to satisfy the Guyanese desire for more world champions.

“The Guyanese public are hungry for a next champion; Sixhead started it,” Purlette said, referring to Guyana’s first world champion, Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis.

The North American Boxing Organisation (NABO) heavyweight champion told Chronicle Sport, yesterday, that Vivian Harris and Wayne Braithwaite are also likely candidates.

“We’ve got a few belts in line,” Purlette declared.

The 28-year old boxer has the credentials to make the prediction. He has 32 professional fights without a loss, flooring 28 of his opponents for knockouts. Purlette latest victim was American Jeremy Bates whom he put away in the second round, October 5, for the NABO belt.

The Guyanese boxer’s first major belt, the North American Boxing Association cruiserweight, was won with a first-round knockout over Italian Billy Mede in November 1997.

In his successes, Purlette recalled that his greatest challenge came from Gary Layne who had fought Riddick Bowe and even Evander Holyfield.

Purlette fights out of Miami, Florida, where he trains in the Warriors Boxing Gym, run by native Indians, since he left Guyana in August 1995. He went to the USA as the sparring partner of Anthony ‘Pearl’ Andrews for a World title fight in Florida. Andrews narrowly lost that world title crack.

At that time, Purlette had nine professional fights and opponents were running out.

“I wasn’t making much progress and I was inactive. So I turned to the land of opportunities,” Purlette said. The November 4, 1973-born started his boxing career when he was 15 years old.

“I wasn’t too interested in boxing until I was introduced to it by a friend, Vincent Howard. I started out under George Oprecht in the Young Achievers gym,” Purlette recalled.

The young boxer entered the Under-16 ring, then the Guyana Defence Force Intermediate championships, into the National Open championships, and eventually represented Guyana in the Carifta championships in the Bahamas in 1992 and then the Pan-American Games in Cuba where he reached the semifinals, losing to a Cuban.

Purlette remembered Keith Bazilio as one of his good supporters, ensuring he had his supply of vitamins and other support.

“Bazilio even co-promoted some of my fights,” Purlette disclosed.

The boxer of course mentioned Oprecht with whom he started his ring career and well-known trainer and matchmaker Maurice ‘Bizzy’ Boyce.

Now Purlette’s next fight is fixed for December 7, in Miami Beach, when he hopes to add the World Boxing Association Inter-continental belt to his collection, fighting either a British or Canadian.

“That fight will put me in the top ten, after which we will negotiate to fight one of the champions,” Purlette said.

The boxer arrived here on Monday for a brief visit, to meet his relatives and friends. He leaves on Sunday.

Purlette is accompanied by his wife Coleen, a Guyanese he met in New York. They were married on August 14, 1999. They have three children Kevin, Princess and Anthony.